Paint your car kits

I am finally looking at a paint job on the Honda. I had previously done just the hood with free paint (Thanks Jim!) but really it was pretty old and translucent and I definitely used most of it just playing around.

I wish to buy primer and BC/CC, Summit, TCP, Eastwood, Kirker, Paintforcars and a slew of others sell a $100-$250 kit which can do most of that. I know this is not good paint, and I promise not a drop of it will hit anything important, but it's good enough for my Accord, I promise.

So is there a legit comparison of these or are they all equally garbagy?

Thanks

Disclaimer:  I haven't used any of these, so I'm going to offer a standard internet "no real information" post, but I can tell you from past experience as DIYer that one of the big problems you can have is a primer/basecoat or basecoat/clearcoat chemical incompatibility.  Stick with one brand/one series for the entire thing regardless of who you buy through. 

I've always had good luck with Eastwood branded paints, so I'd trust them to do a fine job.  Word around the campfire is that Eastwood is rebranded Kirker, which means I would assume that at least Summit is as well.   H.A.M.B. guys seem to be happy enough with Kirker that I'd roll the dice on my first real paint job with 'em.

That said, I've personally had good luck with the DuPont paint from NAPA, but be careful and make sure you use their primer with it.  A friend had a lot of "cracking" and surface issues when he tried to use an off brand primer he got cheap with the DuPont.  I can't remember why there was an issue there, that was like 15 years ago, but I remember it being an issue :)  I've also used PPG that a local shop sold, and that was expensive but really nice.   I'd price out your local FLAPs and see what they can get you for near the same price, and you might get an old guy to ask questions to as a bonus :) 

Oh, and yes.. Paint that hoopty!

I can only offer input on Kirker. I bought a cheaper kit to paint my Miata. I believe it was the Ultra Glow base (which can be used as a single stage) and the recommended clear. I believe I used Kirker primer as well but could be mistaken. The base went down well but it looked a little dull as it cured. The clear sprayed decently well but reacted terribly for some reason as it cured. There were thousands of small pits/bubbles that looked like solvent pop even though I followed the tech sheet almost exactly. 

I ended up sanding it all off and respraying with a lower end DuPont line that didn't cost much more. It may have been how I prepped the car but I haven't had a problem like that in any other garage paint job I've done. 

I REALLY like the stuff from paintforcars 

i used the bottom priced single stage on the datsun and it’s wearing like iron, and I ordered their highest priced base/clear for the chevelle.I haven’t sprayed that yet. 

I used the stuff from paintforcars on the miata. Had someone who has any idea what they were doing shot it, it would have been great.

Cheap, the right color, sent everything I needed in the kit except primer and sand paper.

the stepside is painted with the paintforcars 109 chipped viper red kit, and had the cheapest clear we could find shot over top. im willing to drive it to your place if you want to see result. 

regardless, Art the bodyman has switched to this stuff. if that tells you anything. 

I've used Kirker, Eastwood, and Summit racing single stage Polyurethane on challenge cars. I don't have a lot of experience and these are the only paints I've ever used so I don't have anything to compared them too. So far I've had good luck with them and they all spray about the same. I noticed they like a little reducer to lay down flat with a HVLP but i've had better results with a LVLP gun. 

If this is your first paint job I'd avoid metallic paints. Takes some extra practice not to get tiger stripes. 

Of what you've listed, the only thing I have experience with is Summit's 2K epoxy primer.  I used it as a base before spraying bedliner in the tub of my Jeep.  The bedliner folks (Al's Liner) recommended an epoxy primer, I did a lot of research, and found the Summit primer had predominately good reviews, was reasonably priced, and is allegedly made for Summit by Kirker.  No complaints so far.

As far as cheap automotive paint goes, I've used the Nason line of products you can find at a lot of O'Reilly's and NAPAs.  I've always done single stage, but it's worked out great for a novice, painted in my garage, application. 

Am here to tell you that Glssurit is not your answer.

Maybe call SPI?

That all said, I would ask if you should not be treating this as a training effort for the Truck?There is so much to learn that is specific to the chemicals you are spraying, that going cheap in the Toaster and missing out on the educational opportunity for the Tuna Truck would be a false economy. 

If I were trying to paint a car on the cheap but still nice, I would go buy a gallon of Valspar hybrid epoxy, scuff the car with a red scotchbrite and shoot the sealer primer, then finish wet-on wet  with an implement paint that used a hardener.

The Valspar primer sealer can be mixed as either a high fill or a sealer, so the surface you paint on can be as good as you and your tolerance for sanding wants to make it. Do not shoot metalic on less than a 600 grit finish as the flakes will go sit in the sanding grooves and show up as stripes.

I would not try to paint a car without durablocks if the finish matters at all.

Paint is confusing.

Pete

NAPA paint is Martin Senour. The same as Sherwin Williams, ACME and Rogers. They all come down the same line and get different labels. I am an ex Sherwin Williams factory paint rep.

In reply to NOHOME :

Yes, this was intended to be a training mission as well as a goal to accomplish, I had thought the most of the skill I would learn was from sanding, masking, and spraying. I had not previously considered that the chemistry will also be worth an education. I know we spoke about doing the truck with a base coat/clearcoat, using SPI primer and clear, But I honestly can’t remember where I was going to buy the basecoat from. I am also not entirely confident in the pricing of said basecoat, but just the stuff from SPI more than doubles the experiment price. I’ll have to think on that. 

I would shoot the Honda in UNO single stage.  Scuff it, smooth the divots with filler, shoot a urethane sealer on and shoot the single stage wet-on-wet.

In reply to NOHOME :

UNO?

Wet on wet?

No comprehende por favor mi amigo, donde esta la rascasielos?

For the Honda:

http://refinish.basf.us/brands/catalog/page/29/

R-M UNO HD is a high solids, single stage, two component topcoat system. This formulation is based on a unique acrylic/polyurethane technology that offers high solids and high performance. UNO HD comes in a wide range of solid colors that can assure success in completes, panel replacements and spot repairs. The ease of mix as well as application are just the beginning. Expect excellent flow and leveling, exceptional hiding and mirror like gloss. Superior hardness and chemical resistance completes the package. This globally available product was developed with international cooperation among our European and American facilities. Can also be used on flexible parts with DF21 Flex Agent.

Get a set of durablocks and sandpaper in 80, 220, 320 and 400 grit.

Scuff the dints with the 80 grit paper down to bare metal and shape your filler with the same 80 grit on the durablocks.

Now scuff the entire car with the 220 grit using the durablocks

A lot of urethane primers are meant to be used as either a sealer OR as a high build depending on mix ratios. Mix some up as a high build. Shoot the entire car and sand to 320 and then 400. Might have to re-apply in areas where you sand through.

Optional: after sanding the urethane mixed as a high build, re-shoot the car with a layer of urethane mixed as a sealer, then paint color right on top of the fresh layer of urethane. You do not need to sand this layer if you apply the color within a time window specified in the data sheet, that is known as "wet-on-wet".

Wash the car with soap and water. Pay attention when it is wet because the reflection will let you see anything you might have missed when it comes to sanding smooth and flat. Tape the car again. Wipe down with wax and grease remover, then shoot your single stage color.

Tip:

Practice "painting" the car with wax and grease remover in the gun. It goes on close to how paint will and will gives you some gun time before you shoot paint. Bonus is you had to degrease the car anyways so have a helper walk behind you with a roll of paper towels.

For the Truck:

Sand to bare metal

Coat entire truck in a corrosion inhibiting epoxy

Scuff the epoxy with 80 grit where the body fill is going

Shape the bodyfill with 40 and then 80 grit

Shoot the entire truck with polyester high build ( I use featherfill brand)

Scuff the first coat of featherfill with 80 grit. You will see the low spots

Do a round of featherfill dedicated only to the low spots

Do another round on the entire truck

Sand the entire truck again only this time use a guide coat to find any low spots.

Keep playing this game of whackamole until you think the truck is pretty flat . Finish the last coat of Featherfill with a 220 and then a 320 sanding.

Now spray the urethane high build and sand it with the durablocks to about 400.

Now spray the urethane mixed as a sealer and let it sit for about a month to degass

Now scuff the urethane to about 600 using wet sandpaper

Shoot your basecoat ( color coat)

Shoot 3 or 4 layers of clear

Color sand the truck

Buff the truck.

If done with a proper degree of care both paint jobs are going to look pretty good. You will probably wonder why you did all the extra work, and spent all the extra $$$ on the truck.

Pete

Really shocked no one has mentioned the roll on marine paint yet. It’s the easiest, durable, and cheap paint you can do. 

Bought durablocks.

Is the UNO HD stuff better than Summit/Kirker/etc SS? One is a click, the other is an excursion during lunch hour. I can probably manage it, but it's a pain.

Can I drive the car after primer/sealer but before paint? Because that's totally going to happen.

_ said:

Really shocked no one has mentioned the roll on marine paint yet. It’s the easiest, durable, and cheap paint you can do. 

Thanks but I really want to spray this, learning experience for the proper paint job Pete was referring to a few posts ago.

In reply to tuna55 :

I think you are going to be pretty safe with what ever the brands of paint you get. UNO is just a brand that I am familiar with, is available pretty much anywhere and  that should not scare you too much for price.

The urethane primers will hold up to some weather as they are pretty tough and suitable for wet sanding. Might not want to do a full winter if in the rust belt.

Go to youtube and watch the Eastwood series on how to paint a car. They will show the use of the Durablocks, not that it is that difficult. Rule of thumb is you never have your hand on the back of the paper; always a pad of some sort. Kitchen sponges or scuff pads pipe insulation or high density foam from packing materials have all been used in my projects.

I also go through a lot of 1" masking tape and I buy the rolls of masking paper from the paint supplier. I use a leaf blower to coax the dust out of the shop.

You need lacquer thinner for cleaning stuff up like guns and kids

You need wax,silicone and grease remover cause it will keep fisheyes out of the paint

I also buy tack rags; cheesecloth with some kind of sticky gunk on it.

I like a medium speed reducer it also comes in a slow and a fast for different temperatures.